RSS
Home
The modern housewife: A cross-cultural comparison
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
When searching the word "housewives" online, nearly all related articles feature news of a reality TV show. Today, “reality” TV seems to portray an exaggerated version of any true sense of the word. However, there is no denying that the term housewife has taken on a whole new 21st century meaning.
In the 1950's, the American housewife was revered as a paradigm of chastity and virtue. She was a true joy for her husband when he arrived home after a long day of work and in need of a cocktail, a foot rub and a hot, home-cooked meal. Everything was on time and with a smile. (For a complete guide to The Good Wife's Guide, please read the May 13, 1955 edition of Housekeeping Monthly)
Currently, there is a media barrage of the modern-day housewife plastered all over our TV screens, and nothing about them resembles the former paragon of femininity wholesome wives were once prideful of. Today, housewives in America are seen to be spoiled by their husband's obscenely exorbitant financial success and disregard the values that used to be the delectation of a married woman's life. They have surrendered their most coveted job of childrearing to nannies and day care centers while they trot around town in expensive clothes and cars, sipping midday cocktails and flaunting their personal life to anyone with a TV camera.
Despite the progress many women in American society have made as both breadwinners and beautiful homemakers, this sort of starlet housewife is shrouding every positive image that strong, intelligent women have made for themselves. There must be a place in the world where the role of a housewife remains untainted.
It is an arguable observation that Japanese housewives are a modern-day version of the 1950's American housewife. They forgo any careers they have started or maintained to become a full-time mother and caretaker of their husband’s home. They honor those seemingly mundane, daily errands and make every bento box for their husband’s lunch with love. They are loyal, diligent and obey every archaic method of pleasing one’s husband, especially the last point mentioned in the Good Wife’s Guide: “a good wife always knows her place.”
The Japanese housewife's place is at the core of the family, mainly because of the dedicated personal care to her husband’s children and control of the household finances. The husband hands over his earnings to his wife who then doles out an allowance for his personal use. The rest is invested in caring for the family and home.
Albeit culturally different for more than just the aforementioned reason, the function of a present-day Japanese housewife is strikingly similar to our outdated image of the dutiful American trophy wife. Yet, reverting to a chauvinistic, male-driven society where women need to know their place of submission can’t possibly be better than a society who glamorizes housewives with loose morals and bad spending habits. Does a middle ground exist for housewives today or does their reputation precede them so far in the wrong direction that the true, feministic values they stand for no longer exist?
Japanese women spend their entire single lives dedicated to their education and their own self-betterment. They attend piano lessons, join club activities, participate in cram schools as well as maintain exemplary grades for a rigorous school curriculum that rarely affords them free time to make bad decisions. They are bred to be champions, like the star horse at the track. But sadly, the race is over before it even begins. For Japanese woman, forsaking their ability as educated, powerful leaders in order to become overqualified housewives is status quo. There is a clear-cut choice: have a family or have a career. Thus, most women in Japan, when they get engaged, don’t even hope for a future career. They simply say “I do”, and never look back at the foundation for a future they could have had. They then pride themselves on the fact that they are trying to improve the falling birth rate, perfecting service to their husbands and maintaining ageless skin while running after their four-year old in 7-inch heels.
Since the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, American women have been legally promised and personally protective of their equality to men in society. In 1947, Japanese women were also constitutionally promised the same equality. Yet, women in America feel all the more compelled to embrace every opportunity and liberty more so than Japanese women. The U.S Census Bureau states that American women over the age of sixteen comprise 59% of the workforce, but on average, make 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn. Women have fought for their rights and have certainly proven themselves as worthy contenders in a formerly male-dominated world, but our work isn’t done. We remain strong and constantly strive to improve, believing that we can have both a family and a career.
Once American women were given the same liberties and opportunities as men, the guise of marital perfection folded. The idealistic sense of a housewife, sitting as pretty as strawberry cake on a dessert plate, adorning her home with love and her husband with a seemingly perfect life became more of a hindrance to a woman's potential to actually make something of her life that didn't taste like apple pie or smell pine fresh. Younger generations of Japanese women are beginning to see more opportunity for this dual role of mother and moneymaker, but they are few and far between. Perhaps the near thirty-year advantage as an equal among men has really improved the American woman's ability to forage ahead in society.
Of course, the differences in culture hinder Japanese women from questioning their role in society since they accept everything at face value. Even though women have taken a giant leap for womankind, they have taken a small, sunken step for housewives. These caricatures of what American housewives have become tarnish the inherent goodness in the role it plays in society. We women now need to know our place--as positive inspirations for the generations of women (and housewives) to come.
Related Articles:
Comments
Single, married or something in between? Find what you need for Valentine's Day.
